We Have Forgotten How to Community
- Catherine Addor
- Apr 6
- 2 min read
Reclaiming Connection in Education through True Engagement
In a world that’s never been more connected, we’ve somehow forgotten how to truly community (yes, we’re using that as a verb). We’ve forgotten how to gather, listen, support, uplift, and show up, not just in digital comment threads or at the occasional event, but in ways that build relationships and systems of trust.
The ripple effects of this disconnection are everywhere, especially in our schools. As educators and leaders, we often ask, Where are the parents? But maybe the better question is, Where is the community? And even more boldly: How have we (unintentionally) made parents feel like outsiders in a space that belongs to them, too?
The Tenets of True Community Connection
To rebuild, we need to return to the foundational tenets of community:
1. Shared Responsibility
Community thrives when all members feel a sense of ownership. This means that schools aren’t just places where children learn—they're hubs of collective growth. Parents, teachers, administrators, and students must see themselves as co-creators of the learning experience.
2. Mutual Respect
Too often, school-home communication is top-down. Respect means listening as much as we speak and valuing the lived experiences and insights that families bring to the table. Every voice matters—not just the ones that speak with the same vocabulary as we do.
3. Consistency and Presence
Community is not a one-off event. It’s built-in consistent, everyday moments—through hallway hellos, timely emails, invitations to planning sessions, and inclusive events that honor diverse family needs. Schools prioritizing ongoing, authentic engagement create spaces where parents feel they belong.
4. Vulnerability and Trust
Trust doesn’t come from perfect policies; it comes from honest conversations. When schools acknowledge challenges, ask for feedback, and share wins and missteps, parents begin to trust that their child’s school is a place of integrity.
5. Celebration and Care
In a true community, we celebrate together not just academic successes but acts of kindness, resilience, creativity, and growth. We recognize the whole child and the whole family.
The Education Connection
When schools operate in isolation, families feel like guests in their children’s education. When we lean into the tenets of community, however, we move from parental involvement to family engagement, a shift that research shows leads to better outcomes for students academically, socially, and emotionally.
Engaged parents are not simply attendees, they are advocates, allies, and architects of school culture. But engagement only happens when schools open the door wide enough for everyone to enter and when we redefine success as shared, evolving, and deeply human.
So What Do We Do Now?
We rebuild. Slowly, intentionally, and together.
We invite instead of inform.
We listen instead of assume.
We collaborate instead of dictate.
It’s time to remember how to community. Let’s make our schools places where connection is not a luxury but the fabric of how we grow.
Because when we “community” well, our children learn not just from textbooks but from the living, breathing, caring world around them.
Catherine V. Addor, Founder, Addor-ation Innovation Services LLC
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